Model railroad track clamp



Dec. 1, 1959 w. J. MORASKI MODEL RAILROAD TRACK CLAMP Filed May 14, 1956 INVENTORQ J Voras6'1 United States Patent MODEL RAILROAD TRACK CLAlVIP Walter J. Moraski, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application May '14, 1956, Serial No. 584,542

3 Claims. (Cl. 238-) This invention relates generally to a model railroad track clamp and more particularly to an improved apparatus for holding together the plurality of separate track sections which comprise a closed loop track upon which model railroad trains are operated.

Electrically operated model railroad tracks are formed of a plurality of curved and straight sections of track I which include two or three rails, depending upon the system employed. The rails of the track usually present a tubular longitudinal structure which forms the. head of the rail for receiving the Wheels of the train and which is connected by a web portion to a flangethat is connection therewith.

With repeated use, the pins and their cooperating openings become worn and distorted,,causing a loose connection with the result that the sections of track become accidentally disconnected by the vibration and forces set up by a train operating on the track. Furthermore, even if the pins are tightly fitted in theirmating openings, the connection is not tight enough to Withstand a substantial movement of the loop of track, and when the track is handled or accidentally bumped, a disconnection of two or more sections of the track usually 'occurs. The problem of maintaining a tight connection between the various sections of a model railroad track is recognized in the art and various clips and clamps have been devised for application tothe track to assist in holding it together. Many of these devices are very helpful in avoiding inadvertent separation of the sections of the track but are not entirely satisfactory because they must be applied between each section of track which is a tedious task. Furthermore, these appliances do not permit excessive handling of the track because the appliances themselves can be displaced by suchhandling' and they do not function to actually combine the several sections of track into a unitary structure, but only assist the pin connectors in holding the sections. of track together.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved clamp for holding together the plurality of sections of a model railroad track.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved clamp which operates to unite the plurality of sectionsof a closed loop model railroad track to form a unitary structure.

Another object is to provide a single clamping mechanism which will function to hold together the several sections of a model railroad track.

Another object is to provide an improved clamping mechanism for holding together an assembly of model railroad track sections which can be applied with a minimum of time and effort. 7

Another object is to provide a clamp for holding together the sections of a model railroad track that will enable the track assembly to be handled and moved about without separating the various sections of track.

A further object is to provide a clamp for holding together the sections of a model railroad track which also serves to improve the electrical connections between the sections of track.

A still further object is to provide a clamp for holding together the various sections of a model railroad track which is of simple but sturdy constructionand eflicient in operation. g V

According to this invention the improved model railroad track clamp of the present invention comprises a band drawn taut about one of the rails of the closedloop of track to firmly hold together the plurality of sections which form the complete loop of track. A pair of pivot arms are mounted for pivotal movement toward and away from each other and are connected to the track but slidable relative to it to permit their pivotal movement without displacing them from an operating position underneath the rails of the track. One of the endssof the band is .attachedto one of the pivot arms and the other end of the band is secured to the opposite pivotarmwhile the pivot arms are in a separated position. The pivot arms are then pivoted toward each other to draw the band tightly about the rail of track and the pivot arms are locked in position tomaintain the band taut. With the band thus tightly drawn about one of the closed loopsof track rail, the sections of track forming the loop are bound together so that they cannot separate. from each other and the entire assembly becomes a unitary structure which can be handled and carried about without causing its disassembly.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention which will become apparent from the following detailed specification setting forth'an illustrative embodiment, may' be achieved by the particular apparatus depicted in and described inconnection with the accompanying -drawings, in-which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a model railroad track assembly incorporating the improved clamp of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the curved sections of track that are assembled to make up the loop of track partially shown in Figure 1; i

- Figure 3 is a detail view in vertical section taken along theplane represented by the line 3--3 in Figure 1;-

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the track shown in Figure 1, illustrating the tightening mechanism for drawing the clamping band taut about one of the rails of the track;

Figure 5 is a view in vertical section taken along the plane represented by the line 55 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view depicting a por tion of the band looped about the pair of pins shown on one of the pivot arms in Figure 4 to facilitate the formation of a hitch for securing the band to the tightening mechanism; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a hitch formed on the end of the band from the two loops on. the pins shown in Figure 6.

Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings' and specifically to Figure 1 thereof illustrating a portion of a loop of track which incorporates the improved clamp of the present invention. The track is shown as a circularloop to depict an illustrative embodiment although it is tobe understood that the clamp may be employed in connection with loops of track of other con}- figuration as well. The loop of track is formed of a rails 11 and 12 and a center rail 13. Each of the rails is secured to ties 14 which serve to hold the rails of each section in parallel spaced relationship.

' As best seen in Figure 3, each of the rails 11, 12 and 13 comprises a head 17 which is spaced upwardly from Y a flange 18 by a web 19 with the flange 18 resting upon .the ties 14 in accordance with standard railroad construction. The heads 17 are of tubular construction with a longitudinal opening 20, and a pin 21 is secured withinthe opening 20 at one end of each rail of a track section 10 with a portion of the pin 21 extending beyond the head 17 as clearly illustrated in Figure 2. The pins 21 are provided for the purpose of connecting the several *tr ack sections together to form the track loop while maintaining their respective rails in alignment to form a con- .tinuous loop, and to this end are inserted into the openings 20 of the adjacent track section.

The pins 21 and openings 20 become distorted and worn from repeated use so that a tight fit between the pins and openings cannot be obtained. The vibrations "set up by the operating train on the track and the move- :ment of the train on the track then causes the track sections to separate and interfere with the operation of the train. This deficiency in the standard pin and opening connection of model railroad tracks has been recognized in the art and various clips and clamps are available for holding the track sections together. These prior art clips however, are devised to be inserted at each joint between which may be lifted and carried about without damaging it.

The improved clamp of the present invention comprises a continuous band 25 drawn taut about the web 19 of one of the rails of the track with a tightening mech- 'anism generally identified by the reference numeral 26 being provided for drawing the band 25 taut about the rail with which it is engaged. The clamp is shown ap plied to a three rail track system with the band 25 be ing drawn about the center rail 13 of the track. It may also be applied to either one of the exterior rails 11 or 12 without impairing its operation and would thus be applied when used in conjunction with a two rail track system. The band 25 has been shown applied to the center rail 13 of the illustrated three rail track system inasmuch as the center rail carries the electric current for operating the train with the electrical circuit being com- .pleted through the outer rails. Although the band 25 may be fabricated of any suitable material for holding :the track sections together, it has been found to be advantageous to provide a metal cable for this purpose so that it will assist in carrying the electrical current to improve the electrical connections between the track sections 10. For this reason, the band 25 has been shown applied to the center rail 13, since it will best serve this additional function when placed in engagement with the center rail.

The tightening mechanism 26 comprises a pair of pivot arms 34 and 35, each pivotally connected at one end to a connector bar 36 in opposed relationship by pivot pins 37 and 38 respectively. The pivot arms 34 and 35 are disposed beneath the rails 11, 12 and 13 where they will not interfere with the operation of the train on the track, and preferably with one pivot arm on each side of the center tie 14 of a track section 10 in order to afford max; imum pivotal movement of the pivot arms 34 and 35 track sections 10 forming the track loop are united so -that the entire assembly becomes a unitary structure Each of the pivot arms 34 and 35 is attached to the track by a pin 42 which extends upwardly from the pivot arm 34 or 35 and engages one of the edges of the flange 18. The opposite edge of the flange 18 is engaged by a screw 43 provided on each of the pivot arms 34 and 35 with the thread of the screw 43 being disposed adjacent to the edge of the flange 18 and the head of the screws 43 overlying the top surface of the flange 18 on one side of the rail 13 without being tight against the flange so that they are free to slide relative to it. With this arrangement the tightening mechanism 26 is retained in operating position beneath the track but the pivot arms 34 and 35 are free to be actuated in their pivotal movement relative to the track about the pivot pins 37 and 38.

Since the three rails 11, 12 and 13 may rest upon the pivot arms 34 and 35 they may be in intimate contact therewith, and if the pivot arms are fabricated of a material which is an electrical conductor, as they usually are, they would carry electric current between the center rail and outer rails, causing a short circuit. In order to avoid this it is necessary to electrically insulate the pivot arms 34 and 35 from either the center rail or both outer rails, and for this reason, in the illustrated embodiment, the pivot arms 34 and 35 are provided with strips of electrical insulation 39 on their surfaces in the areas upon which the outer rails 11 and 12 may rest. The insulation prevents contact of the rails with the surfaces of the pivot arms 34 and 35 to eliminate the possibility of a short circuit.

The pivotal movement of the pivot arms 34 and 35 functions to adjust the tension of the band 25 about the rail 13, and to this end the pivot arm 34 is provided with an attachment pin 44 to which one end of the band 25 is secured. In like manner, the opposite end of the band 25 is secured to an attachment pin 45 which is fixed to the pivot arm 35 in approximately the same location that the pin 44 is fixed to the pivot arm 34. The attachment pins 44 and 45 are inclined toward each other to insure that the band 25 will not accidentally slip mi of the top of the pins. With this arrangement, the ends of the band 25 may be tied to the pins 44 and 45 while the pivot arms 34 and 35 are in their separated pivotal posithe tension on the band 25.

In order to maintain the desired tension on the band 25 it is necessary to lock the pivot arms 34 and 35 in their drawn position to avoid releasing the tension on The band 25. This is conveniently accomplished by means of a chain 52 connected at one end to a pin 53 which is secured to the pivot arm 34. A similar pin 54 is fixed to the pivot arm 35 for receiving one of the links of the chain 52. All of the links of the chain 52 present an opening large enough to receive the pin 54, and after the pivot arms 34 and 35 have been drawn together sufficiently to tighten the band 25 about the rail 13, the chain 52 is drawn tightly towards the pin 54. The link of the chain 52 that is closest to the pin 54 is then placed to embrace the pin so that the chain functions to prevent the separation of the pivot arms 34 and 35 in order to maintain the tension applied to the band 25 for drawing it taut about the rail 13.

The band 25 may be conveniently attached to the pins 44 and 45 by means of a hitch 58 formed on each end of the band. The formation of the hitches 58 is facilitated by the presence of a pin 59 fixed to the pivot arm 35 in spaced relationship to the pin 54. To form the hitch 58, the band 25 is wound about the two pins 54 and 59 in the manner shown in Figure 6 to form two loops 60. The band 25 is then removed from the pins 54 and 59 with- 5. out dis'mrbing theta-ops 60;. and the portion of the band 25 between the two Ioops'60 is then simply doubled upon itself with the crease at the center so that the two loops 60 overlie each other and the hitch 58 is completed as shown in Figure 7.- The twol'oops" 60are then placed over the pin 44 or 45 and the band 25 is drawn tight to tighten the hitch 58 ont'he 'pin. The hitches 58 securely attach the ends of the band 25 to the pins 44 and 45 but may be" readily removed from the pins by simply loosenin'g the' hitch and slipping it oif of the top of the pins.

From the foregoing detailed description of the structure and operation of the illustrative embodiment of the presefit' invention, it will be apparent that a new and improved clamp has been provided for holding together the plu rality of track sections of a model railroad track loop whiehlilnites the several sections of the track into a unistructure which may be handled and moved about Without disturbing'th'eassembly, and the improved clamp may be applied to the track with aminimum of incone is s Although the illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail for the purpose of making a full disclosure of a practical operative arrangement by means of which the invention may be practised, it is to be understood that various novel features of the invention may be incorporated in other arrangements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

The principles of the invention having now been fully explained in connection with the foregoing description of the illustrative embodiment, the invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a model railroad track; a plurality of track sections laid end to end to form a closed loop of track, each of said sections being formed of a plurality of lengths of rail supported in parallel spaced relationship; aligning means operably connected at each joint between said track sections to maintain the rails of each section in end to end alignment with the respective rails of the adjoining sections; a band extending about substantially the entire periphery of the loop formed by one of the rails of the track loop; a pivot arm extending transversely beneath the rails forming the track loop; a second pivot arm extending transversely beneath the rails forming the track loop and adjacent to said first pivot arm, said pivot arms being connected for pivotal movement relative to each other so that their free ends may be pivoted toward or away from each other; securing means carried by each of said pivot arms and in sliding engagement with one of the rails of the track loop for retaining said pivot arms in the transverse position relative to the rails while permitting said pivot arms to move longitudinally of the rails in their pivotal movement; attaching means mounted on said first pivot arm at a point spaced from its pivotal connection for securing one end of said band thereto; second attaching means mounted on said second pivot arm at a point spaced from its pivotal connection for securing the opposite end of said band thereto; and locking means secured to both of said pivot arms and operable selectively to lock said arms in the desired pivotal position relative to each other to maintain the required pivotal spacing of said arms for applying and retaining the tension in said band; whereby the ends of said band are attached to said pivot arms while the arms are in a separated position and the arms are then pivoted relative to each other to apply tension to the band to draw it taut about the track loop for holding the plurality of track sections of the loop together in end to end relationship to form a unitary structure which can be handled and moved about without disturbing the assembly, and the tension on the band will be maintained by the operation of said lock preventing movement of the arms away from each other.

2. In a model railroad track; a plurality of track sections laid end to end to form a closed loop of track, each of'said sections being formed of a plurality of lengths of rail supported in parallel spaced relationship with each of the rails having a flange extending longitudinal ly along its bottom for supporting the rail in its upright position; aligning means operably connected at one end of each length of rail of each of said track sections and in engagement with the opposite end of the associated lengths of rail of an adjoining track section to maintain the several rails of each section in alignment with the corresponding rails ofthe adjacent sections of track to form the closed loop of track; a band extending about substantially the entire periphery of the loop formed by one of the rails of the track loop; a pivot arm'extending transversely beneath the rails forming the track loop; a. second pivot arm extending transversely beneath the rails forming the track loop and adjacent to' said first pivot arm, said pivot arms being connected for pivotal move ment relative to each other so that their fr ee'endsmay be pivoted toward or' away from each other; securing means carried by each of said pivot arms and in sliding engagement with the flange of one of the rails of the track loop for retaining said pivot arms in the transverse position relative to the rails while permitting said pivot arms to move longitudinally of the rails in their pivotal movement; a pin mounted on said first pivot arm at a point removed from its pivotal connection for receiving one end of said band to be tied thereto; a second pin mounted on said second pivot arm at a point removed from its pivotal connection for receiving the opposite end of said band to be tied thereto; and locking means secured to both of said pivot arms and operable selectively to lock said pivot arms in the desired position relative to each other to maintain the required pivotal spacing of said arms for applying and retaining the tension in said band; whereby the ends of said band are tied to said pins to attach them to said pivot arms while said pins on said arms are in a separated position and the arms are then pivoted relative to each other to move said pins toward each other to apply tension to the band to draw it taut about the track loop for holding the plurality of track setcions of the loop together to form a unitary structure which can be handled and moved about without disturbing the assembly, and the tension on the band will be maintained by the operation of said lock preventing movement of the arms relative to each other.

3. In a model railroad track; a plurality of track sections laid end to end to form a closed loop of track, each of said sections being formed of a plurality of lengths of rail supported in parallel spaced relationship; aligning means operably connected at one end of each length of rail of each of said track sections and in engagement with the opposite end of the associated lengths of rail on an adjoining track section to maintain the several rails of each section in alignment with the corresponding rails of the adjacent sections of track to form the closed loop of track; a band extending about the periphery of the loop formed by one of the rails of the track loop; a pivot arm extending transversely beneath the rails forming the track loop; a second pivot arm extending transversely beneath the rails forming the track loop and adjacent to said first pivot arm, said pivot arms being connected for pivotal movement relative to each other so that their free ends may be pivoted toward or away from each other; securing means carried by each of said pivot arms and in sliding engagement with the flange of one of the rails of the track loop for retaining said pivot arms in the transverse position relative to the rails while permitting said pivot arms to move longitudinally of the rails in their pivotal movement; a band pin mounted on said first pivot arm at a point removed from its pivotal connection toward its free end for receiving one end of said band to be tied thereto; a second band pin mounted on said second pivot arm at a point removed from its pivotal connection toward its free end for receiving the 7 opposite end ofsaid band to be tied thereto; a locking pin mounted on said first pivot arm at its free end; locking means secured to said second pivot arm at its free end and operable to engage said locking pin to lock said pivot arms in the desired pivotally adjusted position relative to-each other to prevent movement of said arms away from each other; and a knot forming pin mounted on said first pivot arm in spaced relationship to said locking pin to cooperate therewith to facilitate the formation of a knot at each end of said band for attaching the ends of said band to said band pins; whereby the ends of said band may be tied to said band pins to attach them to said pivot. arms while said arms are in a separated position and said arms may then be pivoted toward each other to apply tension to the band to draw it taut about the track loop for holding the plurality of track sections of the loop together to form a unitary structure which can be handled and moved about without disturbing the assembly, and the tension on the band will be maintained by the operation of said locking means in engagement with said locking pin preventing movement of the arms away from each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 460,563 Critcher et al. Oct. 6, 1891 658,699 Brown Sept. 25, 1900 949,199 Rumsey Feb. 15, 1910 1,028,325 Brown June 4, 1912 1,279,803 Watson Sept. 24, 1918 1,351,310 Verhagen Aug. 31, 1920 1,533,905 Straufier et al. Apr. 14, 1925 1,575,089 Becker Mar. 2, 1926 1,613,382 Clarke Jan. 4, 1927 2,008,390 Harris July 16, 1935 2,012,919 Susie et al Aug. 27, 1935 2,459,280 Lange Ian. 18, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 678,692 Germany July 19, 1939 

